Meet Jenna

When I was in middle school, I made sure my locker was stocked with books so I could loan them out to classmates. Now I’m a librarian.

I’m Jenna K. Ingham and I am a Youth Services Librarian at Summit Free Public Library in Summit, New Jersey. I plan programs for teens, host Story Time for pre-schoolers, and do so many other fun things with children, young adults, and families — which is awesome because my passion in libraries is children’s literacy and literature, and giving epic high fives to kids.

Prior to becoming a librarian, I was a Circulation Supervisor at Drew University and Youth Services Librarian Assistant at Caldwell Public Library. I also have nearly a decade of retail bookstore experience, which renders me practically invincible. I’m a fairy tale enthusiast and I bring silliness to Story Time. I love to play pretend and I don’t believe you can ever have too many glue sticks!

Playfulness aside, I’m also an ardent academic with research background in American history, as well as conference presentation experience in gender studies. My focus while obtaining my undergraduate degree in History with a minor and Women’s Studies from Seton Hall University was learning about marginalized people and I honed my skills in exploring the other. This thoughtful awareness provides me with an essential perspective while serving members from diverse communities that I meet in the vibrant world of libraries.

“Jenna Ingham is a recent library school graduate and a new hire at the Summit Free Public Library. Although a new hire, Ms. Ingham comes to us with experience in other libraries and book stores. In our interview with Ms. Ingham, her depth of knowledge of children’s and teen literature was impressive – but it was her enthusiasm for her work that sold us on her. In her previous position, she offered fun and engaging story times, craft programs, a Hamilton sing-a-long, a magical unicorn party and author visits. She worked with the library’s Teen Advisory Committee to plan book-themed scavenger hunts and other fun events.

In just two weeks at the Summit Library, Ms. Ingham has already made a point of engaging with the many middle-school students who come to our library every day, has done two story times in a day and gladly welcomed an unexpected preschool school in for an impromptu story time.”

Testimonial

“It has been so wonderful working with you first in Reading Interests and now in Social Informatics, Jenna. You are a thoughtful and talented young woman and I really just want to wish you all the best for a successful future – you’ve got so many talents to give, it is just a matter of time before the right library snatches you up!” — Cheryl Klimaszewski, Professor at Rutgers University, SC&I program (May 2017)